In recent months, Cuba has been engulfed in one of the most severe energy crises in its modern history. Widespread blackouts have plunged millions into darkness, leaving the population in a state of complete uncertainty. Yet, the crisis extends beyond just energy—Cuba faces shortages of fuel, food, water, and essential medicines. When the lights go out, everything else is cast in a shadow, creating a bleak and menacing outlook.
The situation is not unfamiliar, but the regime’s response remains predictably unchanged: silence, incompetence, and repression. This reality begs the question: Is the Cuban government merely inept, or does it genuinely disdain its citizens?
For decades, the Cuban government has shown an utter inability to manage even basic services. The island's electrical infrastructure is in shambles, a victim of years of neglect, underinvestment, and corruption. Whenever a blackout occurs, the excuses are familiar: technical failures, unexpected maintenance, or, inevitably, the U.S. embargo. However, the truth is far different: the regime has done nothing to modernize its energy system. What was once an intermittent crisis has now become the norm.
As power plants crumble from lack of maintenance and modernization, the regime continues to funnel resources into building new hotels that remain empty. Instead of directing scarce resources to generate electricity for its people, it prioritizes tourism, which barely yields revenue due to the economic crisis and lack of visitors. This obsession with constructing tourist infrastructure while the population endures blackouts reveals that the government's priority is not the people's well-being.
Cubans are left without electricity, yet tourist hotels remain illuminated. Hospitals face power shortages, yet police patrols continue to suppress any attempt at protest. There’s no fuel to secure a stable power supply, but there is enough to mobilize riot control squads. How else can this be explained if not as a complete disregard for ordinary people?
If incompetence were the sole issue, one might expect at least an attempt at a solution. But what we have witnessed is the opposite: whenever the people suffer, the regime responds with repression and cynicism. During blackouts, instead of transparently informing the public and seeking alternatives to mitigate the crisis, troops are deployed to quash any protest attempts. This was not an effort to ensure safety but a strategy to instill fear. For them, maintaining control is more important than solving the problems they have created.
The reality is that Díaz-Canel’s government and his inner circle are not only incapable of resolving Cuba's issues, but they have no interest in doing so. Their aim is not the people's welfare but their submission. If they truly cared, they would have taken concrete measures years ago to prevent Cuba from reaching this point of total collapse.
The only way out of this crisis is not to wait for the government to rectify itself, because it will not. Nor is it to trust in superficial reforms, because they will solve nothing. The real way out is for the Cuban people to stop accepting a life of misery and fear. If this crisis has shown anything, it is that Cubans cannot expect anything from a government that sees them merely as an obstacle to retaining power.
Cuba is not a poor country; it has been impoverished by its own leaders. It is a nation with a hardworking, capable, and resilient population, yet governed by an elite that holds it in contempt. It’s no longer just about incompetence; it’s about an utter disregard for the lives of Cubans. The Cuban people deserve better, but they will not achieve it under the yoke of a government that despises and punishes them for simply existing.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What are the main causes of Cuba's energy crisis?
Cuba's energy crisis is primarily caused by the neglect and underinvestment in the electrical infrastructure, compounded by corruption and mismanagement over the years.
How does the Cuban government respond to the energy crisis?
The government's response has largely been characterized by silence, incompetence, and repression, with little effort made to modernize the energy system or address the root causes of the crisis.
What impact does the energy crisis have on other sectors in Cuba?
The energy crisis exacerbates shortages in other areas, such as fuel, food, water, and medicines, while also affecting critical services like healthcare and public safety.